Harry Potter 1. Do You Need Anybody?

A Moment to Be Free

**A/N: okay this is a bit of an experimental fic. I'm starting with Rose, Albus, and Scorpius' first year at Hogwarts. It's going to eventually be a collection of important moments over the years. There will be one to three chapters per year at school. Sometimes the chapters will have more about Rose and Scorpius' separate lives, than their time together. I just want to get a feel for all of their experiences. Eventually there will be a romance!!!! Read on…**

Do You Need Anybody?

Rose Weasley could not remember a time when she had been so excited. Hogwarts was to begin the next day and it was FINALLY her turn to go. All of her eleven years Rose had heard about the wonderful things that had happened to her parents, uncles, grandparents, well, really anyone she knew who went to school there. And now it was hers for the taking.

Hermione came in to tuck her daughter in one last time. As the covers reached her chin, Rose piped up, "Mum, will you tell me about when you first met Dad?"

Hermione smiled remembering that fateful day. "I was sitting in a train compartment with Neville; he's Professor Longbottom now, and his toad Trevor. Trevor escaped and when we set out to look for him, I stumbled upon Dad and Uncle Harry. Dad was attempting to do magic and I told him that the spell was rubbish, he had dirt on his nose, and that on the whole his friend was _much_ more interesting."

Rose giggled, thinking of her poor father. "And Dad says he fell in love with you right then?"

"Yes, that's what he says… I don't think he really noticed me until I noticed him, that Halloween when he and Harry saved me from the troll."

Rose snuggled deeper into the warmth of her old comforter. She wondered if she too might find love on the Hogwarts Express.

"Good-night, Rosy-Pose" her mother switched off the lamp.

"G'night Mum." Rose fell asleep dreaming of the four poster bed that would soon be hers in a place that was no longer so far away.

_SLAM_…. Ron closed the trunk of the card with perhaps more force than necessary. "Hugo," he exclaimed, "maybe you could go ask Mum if you can help with anything." He looked at his son in exasperation. At the rate they were moving, they _might_ be in the car by tomorrow.

"But I want to play driving," Hugo whined from the front seat continuing to twist the wheel, making proper car noises.

"Now!" said Ron forcefully, as so Hugo sighed and slid out of the car put-puttering his way into the house.

A few minutes later he reappeared, this time with his sister and mother in tow. Hermione levitated Rose's trunk out in front of them and Ron breathed a sigh of relief. The platform does not wait for everyone!

Rose was nearly buzzing with excitement as they bundled into the car and drove off. She grew inpatient and hopped quickly out of the car when they finally reached Kings Cross.

Running through the barrier, Rose looked around to find her cousins, but the steam from the train was so thick she could barely see anything. Then Aunt Ginny came through, Albus and Harry a little bit behind her.

The two families met up and Ron began speaking to Harry. Listening to their fathers talk about parking, Rose leaned in and whispered, "Are you nervous?"

Al only nodded and she noted that he looked quite pale. They turned to Lily and Hugo, who were arguing about whether or not Lily could be placed in Ravenclaw.

"But I'm Smart!" she said angrily, "and if _James_ managed to get into Gryffindoor, who knows-"

"I like James," Hugo cut in indignantly, "And your whole family has been in Gryffindors!"

Ron and Harry approached them, having divested themselves of their children's belongings. "If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," said Ron to Rose, "But no pressure,"

"RON!"

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked solemn.

"He doesn't mean it," Hermione tried to reassure them, but Ron had turned away.

He was looking at a small family, the father and son both blonde and pale. Rose thought she'd never seen anyone look as lonely as the young boy. The father nodded curtly and turned, his wife grasping her son by the shoulder.

"So that's little Scorpius," said Ron under his breath. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank god you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

The next few moments were a blur for Rose. James had come and was shouting about Teddy and snogging and her dad said something about marriage, but mostly she couldn't get the image of Scorpius standing there with his father looking more serious and alone than any eleven year old ought to look.

Then she was kissing her mum good-bye, hugging her dad and waiting for Albus to just get on the train. Finally Albus left Harry's side and joined her in their compartment, both of their heads stuck out as far as they would go.

"Why are they all _staring_?" demanded Albus as he and Rose craned around to look at the other students.

"Don't let it worry you," said Ron, "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

Albus, Rose, Hugo, and Lily laughed. The train began to move and Al and Rose settled into their seats, eager to begin their next adventure.

Albus had begun to say something when the door banged open and a nervous looking blonde head peered in.

"Oh!" said Rose recognizing Scorpius immediately from the platform. Albus shifted uncomfortably as Draco Malfoy's son asked to sit with them.

"_Pardonnez-moi_, wait, I mean, uh can I sit here, nearly everywhere else is full."

With a jolt Rose realized who he must be. Hearing him speak French reminded her of a conversation she'd overheard a while ago.

"_Draco Malfoy's returned from France with a wife and son," said Ron darkly to his wife as Rose peeked in from the top of the staircase. _

"_Really?" asked Hermione, sounding intrigued. "Do you know who she is?"_

"_A French woman he worked with fell for him. Apparently she managed to see some good in the lout."_

"_Hmm, I remember when the company sent him to France; we all wondered why he stayed,"_

"_Do you think he'll send the kid to Hogwarts?"_

The memory faded and Rose decided that Draco Malfoy was definitely not someone her parents liked very much. But, as a desperate expression arose on Scorpuis' face she felt the need to be nice.

"Sit down here if you like," she replied kindly, offering him a smile and a seat. He gratefully took both, a relieved look relaxing his features.

"I'm Rose, and this is Albus, we're cousins," Rose supplied, eager to break any tension that might arise.

"My name is Scorpius."

Silence fell upon the eleven year olds enveloping them and settling down without any mind of leaving.

As the seconds ticked by, Scorpius continually ran his fingers through his mop of blonde hair, until; perhaps eager for the motion to cease, Albus broke in abruptly, "What house do you suppose you'll be in?"

"Probably Slytherin," Scorpius replied glumly, almost embarrassed to admit it.

"Don't sound so sad," said Rose. She felt awful, people should be _excited_ about Hogwarts. "What makes you so sure you'll be in Slytherin anyways?"

"Well, my mum went to Beauxbatons, but all of dad's family was Slytherins."

"But you're not your whole family," insisted Rose, "you're you."

"I wish," Scorpius muttered, all too aware of his father's dark past.

"Slytherin might not be too bad," Albus put in, "I might be in Slytherin." That slipped out unintentionally, and Al was unaware why he felt the urge to confide in this new boy.

"You won't be in Slytherin," the blonde said firmly, you don't have it… that thing… well it's hard to explain, but I can tell, you don't belong with my fathers lot,"

"Who is your father?" asked Albus curiously, wondering how this stranger could possibly know which house he, Albus Severus Potter belonged in.

"Draco Malfoy," Scorpius said defiantly, as though expecting and argument.

"I think…," Albus began slowly, "I think our parents knew your dad at Hogwarts. I think that they might have saved him during the battle of Hogwarts. Even though I'm not so sure they got along during school," he finished choosing his words carefully.

"That's not to say we can't be friends," Rose put in quickly.

"You're a Potter?" Scorpius asked, Albus nodded. "And you're a Weasley?" Rose nodded as well. Scorpius felt torn between the delight of having friends who he knew for sure were good, and the fear of what would happen if his father found out.

Rose giggled, suddenly remembering something her dad had said on the platform. "What?' Scorpius wondered what was so funny about their parents hating each other.

"Oh, just that my dad said I can't marry you because my granddad would be disappointed if I didn't marry at least a muggle born."

'_Who are these people?' _Scorpius thought _'at least a __muggle born__?'_ he felt giddy about meeting people who were so kind. He always felt so uncomfortable whenever his father slipped up and complained about non-purebloods. Everyone was the same right? Scorpius had begun to feel that it was up to him to make a good name for his family, he wanted to do the right thing.

"Aren't we a little young to be talking about marriage?" Al joked, glad that the subject had been changed.

Rose agreed, but Scorpius couldn't help but think that he wouldn't mind marrying her, with her curly red hair, blue eyes and infectious laugh.

"Firs' years this way," bellowed Hagrid swinging a large lantern back and forth. "Come on now, no need to be shy!"

Rose looked around for Scorpius and Al. Her cousin stood next to her, but Scorpius was being called by a group of rough looking boys.

"Go on now Malfoy," they jeered. "Come sit with us!"

The young boy looked rather sick as he muttered to Rose, "Those were the kids I didn't want to sit with on the train. You and Albus looked nice."

Clasping him firmly by the hand and turning him away Rose understood the desperate look he'd had when they'd first met. "You'll sit with us then," she replied and led him to the boat in which Albus sat.

It was dark and Rose was reluctant to let go of Scorpius' hand. She did at last, when then small boat began to move.

Professor Spinnet met the students at the entrance to the castle.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she began. "the start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. The sorting is an important ceremony because while you are here your house will be your family. You will have classes with your house, sleep in a house dormitory and spend free time in a house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history, and each house has produced exemplary withes and wizards. While you are in school, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup.

"The sorting ceremony will begin shortly in front of the whole school, so," she took in their somewhat grubby faces, "I suggest you smarten up a bit,"

The professor walked away, leaving Scorpius in a serious state of distress. The whole school would hear his name, he'd be put in Slytherin and become just like his father. Scorpius loved his father, but even his mother, who had chosen to marry him, grew sick of his pompous manner.

Spinnet returned a few moments later and led the new first years into the Great Hall. The sorting hat sat on a rickety three-legged stool in the center of the hall. There were four long tables, each one filled with students of all ages, watching expectantly.

The hat opened its mouth and began to sing:

Once a year they dust me off

And sit me in this hall

I sort through each and every firstie

Where they belong is the house I call

You cannot hide a single thought

From me the sorting hat

So come line up to meet your fate

Like muggles up to bat

Hogwarts knows four houses

Each as different as it is old

The one in which you belong

Can from me alone be told

You might be a Gryffindor

Where dwell the brave and bold

Or a Hufflepuff, and ever loyal friend

They tend to come in handy

When you've nearly reached the end

Some call home to Ravenclaw

They're smart, and keen with wit

If you're quick to solve a riddle

This house could be your fit

Last of all is Slytherin

The cunning and the sly

You'll live there if you've a clever mind

Trust me, would I lie?

And so ends this annual song

Give the first in line a tap

Remember I know best

For I'm a thinking cap.

The entire hall burst into applause. Professor Spinnet cleared her throat and unrolled a long piece of parchment. "Abbot Jillian"

A small rosy-cheeked girl walked nervously to the front and sat uncertainly on the stool. Spinnet dropped the hat on her head and the old brim covered her eyes. The sorting hat appeared to deliberate for a moment before shouting "Hufflepuff!"

Rose heaved a small sigh of relief. At least the had didn't say why it made its decision lout loud. At least she only had to try on a hat. James had gone on about mud wrestling.

Relaxed Rose glanced around the Great Hall. She gasped. It was hard to believe that there was a ceiling up there at all. Of course she'd read about how it was bewitched to look the night sky in Hogwarts A History, but the twinkling stars were much more beautiful than she could have ever imagined.

Blaise, Michael became a Slytherin and Rose nudged Scorpius, indicating upwards. He marveled as well and stood watching the moon until Spinnet's voice read out," Malfoy, Scorpius"

His mind was a jumble of confusion and worry, as he approached the stool upon which the sorting hat sat. Scorpius wanted to be good, and make a name for his family. The fat fell onto his small head. But his father, Scorpius had to please his father!

"Another Malfoy eh?" a small voice whispered in his ear, "And seeking to please dear old dad, I ought to put you in Slytherin."

"But I want to be good," thought Scorpius quite frenzied.

"You can be good in Slytherin," the voice said, "you have a drive that will serve you well, and Slytherin can help with that."

"I'll be good," he thought to the hat, "and I can please father."

"Yes… your father will be pleased… and you will do nicely in Slytherin I think."

"SLYTHERIN"

Scorpius was torn. His father would be please, but what would become of him? The idea had seemed okay with the hat on, but as he walked to his table Scorpius was not so sure he could keep his ideals, and live with the rowdy boys he'd met on the train. Another new first year made room on the crowded bench and introduced himself.

Scorpius watched as Albus Potter was made a Gryffindor, he had guessed that early on. What had he been thinking? The son of Harry Potter a Slytherin. At last Professor Spinnet called Weasley, Rose. She walked eagerly to the stool and quickly placed the hat on her head.

The same voice whispered, "plenty of smarts, you'd do well in Ravenclaw. Plenty of courage too, you're not afraid to be friends with anyone are you?"

"I'd like to be with Albus…" Rose thought to herself absently, not realizing that the hat could hear her.

"Hmmm…. Albus eh? You would make a fine Gryffindor…."

With one last whisper about Ravenclaw the hat yelled out, "Gryffindor!"

Rose heard the claps and cheers as she went to join her new classmates. A boy named Oliver leant over to shake hands and she did, but while the final first year was sorted her eyes roamed across the room to find Scorpius who sat with a few rather rough looking boys.

As Scorpius surveyed his new friends he realized that it was going to be hard to be good with these kids. He was going to have to change his priorities quite a bit. And none of these changes would be good for his friendship with Rose.

**A/N: okay, that's all for now folks… if anyone is reading this. **

**This is the longest chapter I've ever written… but there are so many people who contributed to this:**

**I love you Lexy Granger… you are an amazingly wonderful person who never ever edits my ideas. **

**Naomi, who I got mad at and then realized how much I love it when you read my stories.**

**Brina, you are the comma queen.**

**And last, little bro Chico, thanks for looking through this one last time. **


	2. If The Sun Don't Come

**Hey, long time no see! Okay, so about two months have passed in the story since the last chapter.**

If the Sun Don't Come

Rose could hear rustling as she struggled to keep her eyes shut. It was way too early to get up and go to lessons. She'd stayed up until one o'clock the night before finishing a potions essay. Actually, she's stayed up until eleven o'clock writing her own essay, but her best friend Lucy's essay had required hours of editing.

She could see Lucy now, prancing about the room, throwing open the drapes of everyone's beds. Rose squeezed her eyes shut again. It was only a matter of time until it was her turn to be brutally woken up.

"Rosie! Good Morning!" Light streamed in, and the red-head groaned in frustration. She loved Lucy, but this was a bit much. After all, the girl was the reason she was so tired anyways.

Rose pushed Lucy out of the way and stumbled towards her clothes. Sunlight filled the dormitory and the view of the grounds was lovely, all gorgeous reds and oranges. October at Hogwarts was wonderful, Rose and Lucy had spent many enjoyable afternoons outdoors, especially when Hagrid decided to let them jump in the enormous piles of leaves he had gathered.

Soon enough Rose was ready for class, the sleep wiped from her eyes, her untamable hair modestly tamed. She and Lucy met Edmund, another first year they'd befriended and made their way down to breakfast.

As she poured herself a generous glass of orange juice Lucy grabbed their schedule and let out a small sigh. "We've got double potions with Slytherin."

Rose brightened in contrast to her friend. It would be a chance to see Scorpius! They'd really only exchanged hello's in the hallway and not spoken any further than that. She wanted to know how he was getting on, whether or not being a Slytherin was as horrible as Scorpius had anticipated. Maybe they could be partners.

Edmund interrupted her train of thought as he reached past her to get the sausages. Noticing the smile played across Rosie's face he asked, "What're you so happy about?"

"Oh, you never know who you'll work with, do you?" she asked happily in an attempt to be vague.

"You're thinking about Scorpius again, aren't you?" Edmund said darkly as he attempted to cram yet another sausage into his mouth.

"And so what if I am? He's my friend," replied Rose haughtily, annoyed that her efforts at masking her enthusiasm had been so easily tossed aside.

"Not for long," put in Lucy. "He made friends with you before falling in with that lot." She gestured towards the Slytherin table and the nasty looking boys Scorpius not went along with.

"Yeah, who says he'll be nice now?" asked Edmund, "I mean, what has he said so far other than hello?"

Rose turned away. It was true, she did spend a lot of time thinking aloud about why Scorpius did not seem to want to talk to her, but she figured it was all in her imagination. They could sort everything out in potions, couldn't they? Edmund and Lucy didn't know anything.

RSRSRSRSRSRS

Charms came first and it took forever. Swish flick, swish flick, it wasn't that hard! Edmund had managed to levitate his feather for a few seconds, but Lucy was hopeless. Her wand flailed as she nearly poked Edmund in the eye again.

"If you don't quit that I'm going to go work with Jon and Albus," exclaimed Edmund when she caused him to lose concentration and his feather fell.

"Oh Eddy, don't be so stuffy. At least you can work the bloody charm."

Edmund huffed and grabbed her hand reciting, "Swish and flick," moving it in the right way.

Lucy quickly snatched her hand away and turned her back on him muttering something about doing fine on her own.

But Rose looked over a few moments later and saw Lucy surreptitiously copying the motion Edmund had demonstrated. Seconds later the feather before her rose and fluttered about. The professor, who had seen her struggle jumped up excitedly, "Well done Ms. Parr! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

Edmund shot her a look of pure loathing. He had been able to levitate his feather long before she could even do the want movement. And who had taught her the correct wrist flick anyway?

Rose picked up on this and, always the peacemaker quickly told Edmund that they were really his ten points and the professor didn't know anything about who had taught Lucy so well.

Edmund calmed down and Lucy thanked him sheepishly, not really wanting to admit that she needed help sometimes.

Rose guessed that Edmund was sort of in awe of Lucy's fiery personality, and he just didn't know what to do with her.

Charms ended at last and Rosie all but skipped to the dungeons. She sat down in front of Lucy and smiled a small smile in Scorpius' direction. He did not appear to notice. Professor MacDougal surveyed his class and sighed deciding it would be best if he paired them up himself. It was still always sticky when Gryffindor worked with Slytherin.

When the students had quieted down the professor began to speak, "Today we will be preparing a potion that is the antidote to boils. The instructions can be found on page eleven. I'll pair you up in a moment."

Rose sighed inwardly as he paired her with Elizabeth Driscoll, another Gryffindor, who she liked… but Lizzie could be a little thick sometimes, and potions was definitely not her best subject.

Scorpius was working with Michael Bullstrode. Michael was short-tempered and had a mean streak. Plus, Rose wasn't sure how smart he was anyways.

_He would be better off with Lizzie_, she thought grumpily, _And I'd have Scorpius_.

Rose began to work diligently, neatly cutting her sprouts and correcting Lizzie wherever she went wrong. Behind her she could hear Lucy arguing with Edmund for some mundane reason she didn't even want to know. It sounded like Lucy was winning.

Lizzie began to stir the potion counter-clockwise and it turned a pleasing pale yellow. Rose smiled at her partner. She was sure they'd get top marks. Lizzie smiled in return and leaned in to confide, "this is the best I've ever done Rosie! McDougal ought to be proud."

A timer signaling the end of class went off and Rose waited in anticipation as the potions master began to make his way around the room.

"Nicely done Albus! But not quite pale enough," he remarked looking at the deep yellow potion.

"Oliver! That looks much to thick to cure boils!" Oliver shrugged at his partner Frank. It wasn't like either of them really cared about potions.

Finally he reached Rose and Lizzie's cauldron. "Well done ladies. Quite possibly the best in the class!" Rose felt a look of immense satisfaction come over her face.

All he did was shake his head at Lucy and Edmund's purple goo. She pointed an accusatory finger at him and he raised his hands in mock surrender.

Rose carefully poured the contents of her cauldron into a flask and labeled it, not really listening to McDougal who continued on to the Slytherins.

Her head snapped up when he exclaimed, "Incredible!" She looked wildly around the room, trying to find who had outdone her.

Professor McDougal stood beside Scorpius and Michael's cauldron.

"This really is a perfect potion!"

"Better than Weasley's?" a Slytherin called out.

"Yes, the consistency is better, making it more of a paste. Compared to this , Miss Weasley's potion is much too watery. Fifteen points to Slytherin".

All of the Gryffindor's groaned. Rose marveled at how smart Scorpius must be. After all, it couldn't be Michael!

She walked out the dungeon into the warm and well lit corridor. Hurrying to catch up with Scorpius she said brightly, "You never told me you were good at potions."

Scorpius and Michael turned. The formers eyes lit up briefly before glancing uncertainly towards his friend.

"You talking to us Weasley?" Michael snarled, as Scorpius began to open his mouth.

"Not, not really," Rose replied looking taken aback, "I'd actually wanted to speak with Scorpius, see how he's getting on…" she trailed off looking down. Something hadSomething had gone wrong and she did not know what.

"What would a Weasley want with a Malfoy?" Bullstrode asked, an awful gleam in his eye.

Rose looked at Scorpius expectantly, hoping that he would speak up. The blonde boy looked at the ground. She could see Lucy and Edmund gaping at her. Michael spoke again, "Malfoy, tell the little half-blood that she's got no business with you."

Scorpius looked up at last, gaining confidence as he said, "Yeah Weasley, shut up and leave us alone."

Rose felt her face heat up and momentarily cursed her red hair.

Drawing herself to her full height (which wasn't very tall) Rose retorted angrily, "I had business with Scorpius, but clearly I want nothing to do with a Malfoy." She spat out his surname and walked off.

Gdgdgdgdgdgdgd

Trembling, Rose fell onto her bed. She had broken into a run back to the Gryffindor tower once the Slytherins were out of sight. Lucy burst in and hurried over to the crumpled heap that was her best friend. No one had EVER been mean to Rose in that way. And if Lucy got any say in the matter, no one ever would again.

Rose looked up slowly, her face tear stained and puffy. "T feel so STUPID".

Lucy put an arm around her and said consolingly, "Aww come on, how were you supposed to know? He was so nice to you and Al on the train."

"Yes, but now he's awful."

"I'll punch him if you like," replied Lucy hopefully.

Rose gave a watery laugh, "No, don't do that."

"You know I would have hit him before if Eddy hadn't held me back."

The red head looked gratefully at her friend. "We'll have to come up with some way of getting back at Malfoy."

Lucy looked thoughtfully around the room. "We could ask your aunt about how to perform the bat-bogey hex."

"I don't want to lose house points over this," said Rose sternly.

"Yes… yes no house point…" murmured Lucy absently. "I've got it! We know where the Slytherin dormitories are, right?" she asked growing excited.

'Right," replied Rose skeptically.

"Well, we can take the cloak from your cousins, sneak out late at night, so no one is up, not even Peeves. We sneak into the Slytherin common room (I bet Eddy could skulk around a bit and get up a password) and while Malfoy is sleeping you transfigure him into a-"

"EARTH TO LUCY!" Rose called out finally after listening impatiently for the past few moments, "That isn't possible! Eddy can't just skulk around to fund a password for another house. And I can't do anything except change a match to a needle. I think my only choice is to just beat him at everything."

Lucy turned disappointedly towards her friend.

"Just beat him at everything? Not beat him up over everything?"

"No, definitely not beat him up over everything," replied Rose crossly. "I'll just have to get better marks than him, fly better than him, have more fun than him."

"I guess you'd better get over your fear of heights then," said Lucy no longer interested in scheming as she began to get up. "Let's go find Eddy, he's probably wondering where we are."

Sdsdsdsdsdsdsdsd

Scorpius flopped down onto his bed, a feeling of deep self-loathing and regret washing over him. He could not believe what he had just done. Was Michael anyone he really wanted to be friends with anyways? Didn't he care more about Rosie, beautiful, kind Rosie? She probably wouldn't even look at him now. And it was all his fault.


End file.

Harry Potter, Friendship, Romance